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Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?


@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

Nearly all my UK cards are contactless, and it is growing since Transport for London basically wants you to prepay for tickets on an Oyster card or pay with your contactless card to use the system now. Even the buses won't accept cash in London.

 

Apple Pay doesn't work since the Device ID changes (am I wrong?) and also takes too long since you have to authorize it. Also Chip and Signature or Swipe won't work on unmanned machines in the UK as they only support Chip and Pin or contactless. This makes most US issued cards useless if there isn't someone to man it, which is common in the UK.


Yeah, unfortunately, it's just not common in the US. I don't think the Device ID changes with Apple Pay unless you delete and add a card back, but like you said, there are other issues.


TfL uses the device ID to track how much you've spent and uses that to cap your spending to a weekly rate. If the ID changed then it would be seen as something new. Also the whole fingerprint or pin code slows down the whole process that people would start getting annoyed behind you in the queue.


The Device Account Number (which is what they use) only changes if you have to re-add your card for some reason. Also you can pull up Passbook and authenticate with Touch ID before getting to the turnstiles, which should save time.

Message 11 of 30
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?


@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:

@Anonymous wrote:
It would be awesome to use the US AmEx on the UK underground as you can just use your contactless card to travel on it.

My everyday preferred should have one but it has a FTF while the Platinum doesn't.

I don't think it ever will. Amex and other issuers, most notably Chase, aren't putting any marketing behind built-in contactless any more and you must go through hoops just to get a card with contactless. It wasn't sucessful, with security concerns from users and limited support and now the contactless focus is with digital wallets like Android Pay and Apple Pay. It also seems that the only cards offered with contactless are those with FTFs, Zync is the only compatible charge card. There are some with FTFs that aren't offered, though, so it's not exactly clear why the support is where it is, but I don't see it rolling out to more cards any time soon.


The limited support (and the fact that it wasn't any more convenient compared to swiping) killed it more than anything else IMO. I don't think security concerns were that big of a complaint but I could be wrong on that.

 

Of course, the former's getting fixed just as Apple/Android Pay's becoming a thing and made those cards obsolete in some ways. Talk about irony. Cat Tongue


Apple/Android Pay is much slower than normal contactless. It takes longer for me to use Apple Pay than swipe my card. I take out my phone and try my fingerprint, sometimes it won't work if my finger is oily or my screen is? I can probably swipe faster than use Apple Pay. In the UK where chip/pin is large it makes sense for contactless cards with no extra authorization required for purchases under a certain amount.


Not if you're using an Apple Watch. Cat Very Happy (Or that tip I posted about above.)

Message 12 of 30
rlx01
Established Contributor

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?

Apple Watch is the way Apple Pay was meant to be used.

The phone version is pointless (now that I have the watch).

And re "security concerns": tell that to the millions of people walking around with a wallet full of contactless cards in Australia, UK, etc.

Contactless is the future. Hence Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung whatever all piggybacking onto NFC contactless payments.
Message 13 of 30
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?

Any plans to bring Android Play to Android Wear? They never did bring Wallet to the watches that had NFC on them.

 

EDIT: also, the phone version still has a use, mainly ordering things from the phone (Target, etc.)

Message 14 of 30
rlx01
Established Contributor

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?

Not sure if Wear platform guidelines dictate NFC support or not. But since we're just copycating all over the place... I'm sure it'll come.

Re app purchases... I don't see the point to be honest. I already have my cards saved at various merchants and don't really see the need for it.

It also doesn't really work half the time. And Apple takes a cut for something they didn't really do anything for... So... Yeah.
Message 15 of 30
yfan
Valued Contributor

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?


@rlx01 wrote:
Apple Watch is the way Apple Pay was meant to be used.

The phone version is pointless (now that I have the watch).

I don't know about that. Most of the time when I'm not driving or working, my phone is in my hand - which makes it rather easy just to hold it next to the terminal and pay - whereas I will often not wear my watch unless I'm tracking my bike rides. 

Message 16 of 30
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?

I just had my cards replaced because of the new facelift to the AMEX PRG, and I requested 'Contactless with EMV and Signature'... and they informed me that they are no longer adding contactless to their cards.  The reason being is that there were a number of fraud claims because of this and it was very costly to Amex.  They did send out the contacless cards for a brief period, but after constant complaints due to fraud, they ended it.  It is not happening on the Amex Plat or any Amex in the U.S.

 

Message 17 of 30
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?


@Anonymous wrote:

I just had my cards replaced because of the new facelift to the AMEX PRG, and I requested 'Contactless with EMV and Signature'... and they informed me that they are no longer adding contactless to their cards.  The reason being is that there were a number of fraud claims because of this and it was very costly to Amex.  They did send out the contacless cards for a brief period, but after constant complaints due to fraud, they ended it.  It is not happening on the Amex Plat or any Amex in the U.S.

 


Eh, like anything an Amex CSR tells you, you have to take it with a grain of salt.  We've had several posters recently obtain contactless cards for their BC cards so they are doing it at least for that particular card.

Message 18 of 30
rlx01
Established Contributor

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?

@yfan: my watch is on my wrist at all times. My phone is in my pocket. Also doesn't require struggling with TouchID. Just tap and go.

Also LOL at Amex CSR and fraud claims. If someone has your physical card it makes no difference whether they're taping it or swiping it. No one checks signatures anyway.
Message 19 of 30
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Will the AmEx Platinum ever get contactless?


@rlx01 wrote:
@yfan: my watch is on my wrist at all times. My phone is in my pocket. Also doesn't require struggling with TouchID. Just tap and go.

Also LOL at Amex CSR and fraud claims. If someone has your physical card it makes no difference whether they're taping it or swiping it. No one checks signatures anyway.

I mean they probably did stop issuing them. Not because of fraud though, but because the tap feature simply wasn't reliable enough. My BCE gets declined when I tap at way more places than it should (whereas swiping and Apple Pay with that same card worked every time) and after a couple of new cards I gave up on it.

Message 20 of 30
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